Eggs did not hatch

[Turtlehead]

This year for the first time I collected monarch eggs, anticipating raising them from eggs. I believe I did everything correctly and kept the leaves damp, but, unfortunately, they did not hatch. Is it common to find unfertilized eggs? I am in northern Illinois and raised many monarchs from caterpillars last year with great success.

Thank you for any help and/or advice.

Turtlehead

[Mona Miller]

I recently raised some Monarchs from egg. I had several that did not hatch. They got dark, but nothing came out. And, some of the caterpillars leaked green and one turned dark and died. This does not bode well for the start of the season.

I always take the eggs, clip a small part of the leaf with the egg, put them on to a deli plastic lid, I use large 13 cup plastic glad containers, inside of that large container, I put down paper towel, dampen that, then put the plastic deli lid on top of the damp paper towel. This keeps the humidity up, but doesn't mold the leaf. I keep an eye on those for hatching caterpillars and move them to another container because the new hatchlings will crawl over and eat another egg.

[sbannister]

No matter what I do, I have never been able to raise them from eggs, so I wait until the cats are hatched. That's just me, though. I'm sure it can be done.

[Mona Miller]

This is the way I hatch eggs. I use those large 13 cup glad containers. I clip the eggs with a bit of the leaf. I place those leaf bits on a plastic lid (egg up on the top of the leaf). I put a paper towel into the glad container (fold a bit so it fits the container bottom). Spray the paper towel with water to provide humidity. Put the lid with the bits of leaves and eggs on the top of the paper towel. Monitor for egg hatching because some of the little caterpillars will crawl over and eat their siblings. Transfer the tiny caterpillars to a new container with fresh leaves. You can do this two ways. With a water color brush or by moving them on the bit of leaf they were on.